Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-01-01
Bits of Gossip.

Bus OF GOSSIP.
It was bold double ring Of the door
bell like postman's, but it wasn't q
postnan's.
He was so respectable looking in the
face that one would not have thought Of
looking at his apparel had he not said i:
STRANGER, excuse me for disturbing
you, but have you got an old pair Of
shoes about the house that you could let
me haver'
Yes, there was an old pair of shoes.
When they were brought forth the visitor
examined them critically.
"Do you think they will do?" was
asked timidly.
swell, to tell the truth, they're not just
as good as ould like, but they're q
hundred per cent better than mine and I
think they'll fit. Your foot seems to be
about the same size and shape as mine.
Number eight ] think"
The pair he wore were of cowhide and
so full of holes they would scarcely hang
together.
Really, I don't like to bother you, you
know, but have you any old stockings.
It would be pity to put these clean
shoes on my stockings"
eyes, there were stockings. Would the
visitor like to wash his feet before putting
on the stockings. It might be pity to
put clean stockings over his feetf''
"Now that would be q real treat. I
haven't had foot bath for ever so long,
and pedestriapism is very trying, you
know"
Would he have warm water?
"Ah, that would be, indeed, asking too
much. Now know that you are laugh
ing at me. You see the humorous eide
of pedestrianism, and enjoy me as q Joke.
Well, just to carry out the entertainment
I'll accept the warm water. II will seem
like tho old prosperous days for mo-
ment."
While he bathed his feet, which were
shapely, white and soft, he answered va
rious delicate questions.
81 am from the far west. Ihave come
from Colorado without q cent to pay
railway fare. But confess I don't like
the country. A'beggar is q vagrant
here, and is sent to the work house, while
q thief is gentleman and is not mo-
Tested. Out west they lynch the thieves,
but beggars are treated like gentlemen.
Well, they are gentlemen. Beggsrs
and millionaires are the true gentlemen.
They live entirely upon what they get
from the public. I had a narrow es-
cape with one of your dude policemen
to-day. He looked at my shoes, and
then questioned me sharply. assumed
q superior air and used big words, and
he walked away. A few big words will
down policeman every time il you are
sober"
But if beggars are in such Ill repute,
why not cease to be beggarf
''My friend, you will pardon me if I
say you don't know what you're talking
about. I'll admit am young man to
be professional, but it's fate. I was
skilled mechanic, and as faithful work
man as ever lived. I had q good COM
mon school education, and was always
fond of reading. Please notice my
grammar. am somewhat proud Of it.
I'll trouble you for towel, please. for
nv feet. I worked hard when became
q journeyman, and was determined to
become rich, not because I cared for
money, but because it was the open ee-
same to the good things Of life But
always just as I was on the point of get
ting ahead, something would happen to
throwme ont of employment. Sometimes
it was lack of work, sometimes q fire, and
sometimes the scheming Of fellow work
men or the jealousy of q foreman. Once
when I got $3.50 in pocket I thought
my bad luck was leaving me: but I was
without werning, and for no
reason I could ever discover; and long |
before I got another place my money !
Was gone. After this sort Il luck for 1OI
o. - years I Just stopped trying. 4 an
: professional tramp and mnot eah1ned
p admit u, Tor itiim'4 my fn11 -
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